What happened: On MLB Tonight, analysts laid out who they would build a franchise around with two position players and one pitcher. Steve Phillips took Bobby Witt Jr. and Nick Kurtz as his hitters and Jacob Misiorowski as his arm. Jake Peavy countered with Elly De La Cruz and Julio Rodríguez up the middle and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound.

Why it matters: The picks lean heavily toward youth and up-the-middle talent, with shortstops Witt and De La Cruz and center fielder Rodríguez forming the core of both builds. The pitching split — Misiorowski's power arm against Yamamoto's polish — frames the classic upside-versus-proven debate that shapes how front offices value cornerstone talent.

What to watch: Both panelists' hitters carry the debate forward as the season unfolds, with Bobby Witt Jr. among the names each build returns to.